14 of the Best Soba Spots in Japan

A noodle dish that has been loved by the Japanese people for a long time is soba (buckwheat noodles). The flavor of this unique and sophisticated dish varies depending on the ingredients used and the way the noodles are made. Check out these 14 restaurants around Japan where you can savor some amazing soba!

1. Izayoi (Maruyama koen)

Enjoy soba made from freshly-ground buckwheat in the quiet atmosphere of this place. Their juwari soba (100% buckwheat noodles) are made with buckwheat flour stocked from contracted farmers in Hokkaido, and they have a strong fragrant taste. The most recommended dish is the gorgeous [Sudachi Soba] (1,300 JPY (plus tax)), which is topped beautifully with plenty of sudachi (a kind of Japanese citrus fruit). The light flavor of the cold soba tastes amazing with the dashi (broth) and the refreshing smell and acidity of sudachi. It's so delicious that you can just keep eating! Reservations for dinner are mandatory, and there are mainly course meals. You can enjoy kaiseki (traditional Japanese course cuisine) and soba at the same time!

2. Mimi (Susukino)

At Mimi, you can pair your soba with authentic Japanese foods and alcoholic drinks. Every day, they hand-pull 2 types of soba: juwari soba and sarashina soba, made with flour of the core part of buckwheat seeds. The best juwari soba menu item is the [Duck Seiro] (1,400 JPY). Grilled duck meat is soaked in an orange-flavored dashi, which releases its fat into the rich soup, creating a peculiar yet truly addicting flavor. The [Sarashina] (880 JPY) is served on a bamboo basket with a tsuyu (sauce) made from katsuo (skipjack tuna) extract. It goes down your throat super smoothly and is a great way to finish off a round of drinking.

3. Edosoba Hosokawa (Ryogoku)

Let the owner of this modern Japanese restaurant pamper you with his excellent soba. Only the best buckwheat chosen by the owner are brought in from all parts of Japan. The seeds are stone-ground into flour, and the noodles are pulled without adding any binding agents, resulting in soba with a highly sophisticated flavor. The [Seiro] (1,080 JPY) allows you to enjoy the original flavor of this soba, but if you're in the mood for something fancier, have the superb [Cold Oyster Soba] (1,980 JPY) and enjoy soba imbued with the flavor of oysters. The ingredients selected without compromise, as well as the exceptional skills of the chef, create a fantastic soba dish that you have to try!

4. Daikokuya (Asakusa)

At this popular restaurant, you can eat soba made by a chef who has dedicated around 45 years of his life to soba making. High-quality buckwheat, stocked from farmers in Niigata and Nagano Prefectures, is ground with 11 millstones to make their flour. Its flavor and aroma are best enhanced in the [Seiro] (1,250 JPY), which is a brilliant dish unlike any other you've tried before. A similar flavor and chewy texture can be found in the [Sobagaki] (1,750 JPY), eaten by dipping the noodles into a dashi-flavored soy sauce made in house, which gives the fragrant soba an addicting taste. Reservations are required in order to serve everything at its best, but it'll definitely be worth it!

Daikokuya

5. Kikutani (Koshinzuka)

This place is frequently visited by many soba experts. Other than stocking unpolished buckwheat from various regions of Japan, the owner also cultivates his own, showing that they truly pay attention to the ingredients used. Their flagship menu item is the [Kiki Soba] (1,200 JPY), which allows you to have 2 different types of soba. According to the daily stock and the weather conditions, the soba production area, the milling technique, and even the percentage of binding agent used are subject to variations, and all this is taken into account so as to boost the umami of the soba as much as possible. In addition, the menu offers a wide lineup of side dishes, sake (a kind of Japanese alcohol), and wine, so this place is especially recommended if you want to leisurely enjoy a few drinks as well.

6. Ishiusubiki Soba Ishizuki (Nagoya)

Head here to have freshly milled, freshly pulled, and freshly cooked soba. When stocking their buckwheat seeds, they make sure they're the best currently available and thoroughly grind them every morning with a millstone. The dipping sauce they're served with is never too strong or sweet, but quite refreshing. The most popular item is the [Shrimp and Vegetable Oroshi Ten Seiro] (1,667 JPY (plus tax)), which is a set meal consisting of cold soba with shrimp and vegetable tempura on the side. The refreshing flavor of the soba tastes amazing with freshly fried tempura!

7. Kotohogi (Takaoka)

This restaurant serves authentic Japanese dishes made with seasonal ingredients. The menu includes kaiseki essentials like the assortment of a la carte dishes known as [Hassun] or the seafood [5-Kind Assortment], as well as many other dishes that will please both your eyes and tongue. The dish you must try is the restaurant’s recommended [Soba]. You’ll be served hand-pulled soba made from either buckwheat flour produced in Nagano Prefecture or flour procured from Hokkaido’s farms during buckwheat season. In summer, you can have [Sudachi Soba], while in winter you'll be served [Kake Soba]. Finish off your meal with some soba and a cup of seasonal, limited edition sake!

8. Fujita (Shin-Fukushima)

This restaurant serves up original healthy dishes, making use of duck meat and buckwheat, as well as healthy alcoholic drinks. For example, it boasts a wide selection of organic wines for you to enjoy. Their signature dish, the [Seiro] (800 JPY), features an unbelievable aroma and smooth texture. They select their buckwheat according to the season, stone-grind it, pull it by hand every day, and then serve it with a fantastic thick tsuyu. Alternatively, you'll find lots of French and Italian inspired dishes made with buckwheat flour, like the [Kawachi Duck Breast Galette] (1,500 JPY), which makes this restaurant a great option for those who are not familiar with buckwheat dishes.

9. Watanabe (Kitashinchi)

This restaurant combines soba with a premium ingredient: truffle. Following their policy of serving "the best and most delicious soba in Japan", the menu is a collection of luxurious original Japanese dishes like the [Mita Beef and Truffle Sukiyaki], which beautifully matches truffle with branded beef, and the [Truffle-Flavored Dashimaki] (1,200 JPY), a Japanese omelet infused with truffle-flavored dashi. The most special dish in their menu is the [Truffle Soba], in which soba is topped with a generous amount of truffle. This is the only place where you can experience the kind of robust flavor this combination creates!

10. Yuigokoro (Higashi-Umeda)

The restaurant Yuigokoro, with quiet and modern Japanese interiors, serves well-balanced Japanese dishes. In addition to appetizers made with seasonal ingredients, fresh fish sashimi, and grilled or fried delicacies, there are also many snacks to accompany your drink. Before you head home, finish off your meal with their popular [Hand-Pulled Soba] (1,000 JPY). The noodles are hand made every day from high-quality buckwheat flour made with carefully chosen ingredients from specific production areas. It may be a simple dish with soba’s typical refreshingly smooth texture, but that’s what makes it addicting. As for drinks, you can find mainly sake, but also shochu (another kind of Japanese alcohol), wines, and champagne.

11. Gontaro Okazaki Branch (Higashiyama)

This established restaurant serves up udon and soba cooked with superb dashi in an elegant, Kyoto-esque interior. The chef exclusively uses select ingredients to craft his amazing dashi, which is so limpid that it was nicknamed "golden broth." This delightful broth is used to prepare the tsuyu, which is paired with high-grade soba to create the [Tenzaru Gozen] (1,950 JPY (plus tax)), a voluminous tray that also includes shrimp tempura, takikomi-gohan (steamed rice mixed with other ingredients), and even gomadofu (sesame tofu) filled with buckwheat seeds. The aroma of the soba paired with the sophisticated flavor of the tsuyu will make for a luxurious dining experience.

12. Souan (Kyoto)

Here, you can savor house-made juwari soba, tempura, and sake. The restaurant's signature dish is the [Meat Seiro Soba], a voluminous portion of soba topped with meat, seaweed, and scallions. The balance between the light tsuyu and the rich meat is perfect and blends divinely with the soba. If you're especially hungry, order the [Ten Seiro Soba] instead. Other than vegetable and shrimp tempura, it also includes egg tempura with a creamy yolk that will make you smack your lips!

13. Akasaka Sabo (Akasaka)

In a warm wooden space oozing out relaxing vibes, relax and enjoy soba, alcoholic drinks, and coffee. Their specialty is juwari soba made with 100% Hokkaido buckwheat flour, and if you order [Walnut Sauce Soba] (780 JPY), you can enjoy it with a dipping sauce made by combining white miso, walnuts, and house-made dashi. The strong flavor of juwari soba and the thick walnut sauce in this dish maximize each other's good qualities. Alternatively, don't miss their [Basil Tsuke Soba] (900 JPY) or their [Mentai Cream Stew Soba] (1,200 JPY) if you feel like tasting unusual varieties of soba.

14. SOBAGUI IMATOMI (Yakuin)

Focusing on soba, this restaurant makes kaiseki cuisine and other traditional Japanese delicacies. Their [Shiiba Hikigurumi Juwari Soba] (2,000 JPY, reservation required) is made from house-made coarsely-ground juwari soba and will allow you to savor the authentic flavor of buckwheat. The chewy texture typical of juwari soba is just incomparable! Another frequently ordered menu item is the [Soba Kaiseki] (from 5,000 JPY), a course featuring lots of soba dishes made with plenty of seasonal ingredients. The chef puts all his effort into creating each and every dish in this course.

Soba has embedded itself into Japanese culture, and it's especially appealing with its light taste that you can't get tired of. Make sure you try all the unique versions that each restaurant in this article makes!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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